This Week in Coaching: The aftermath at Auburn, Jeff Hafley receives a vote of confidence at BC and Shane Beamer defends his offensive staff

A day after getting axed as Auburn’s head coach, Bryan Harsin released a statement through former Tigers lineman and current SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic, saying he “poured his heart and soul” into the job and believes that “Auburn has the potential to be a championship program again.”

Statement from former Auburn head football coach Bryan Harsin. pic.twitter.com/pKhFa1k3zW

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 1, 2022

Harsin was 9-12 at Auburn, ending his tenure on a four-game losing streak. 

His statement read like a fairly traditional, ‘Thank you. I wished it worked out better. Goodbye,” message, but spinning things forward, one particular sentence stood out.

“The resources, financial support and fan base are in place. There are good people throughout the program and university. With complete alignment, the possibilities are endless.”

Harsin said the quiet part out loud, and that’s interesting because whether or Auburn can avoid its usual backroom dysfunction will determine what sort of candidate it lands this cycle. 

Another Bryan Harsin or a Lane Kiffin?

Meanwhile, Auburn basically cleaned house of most remnants from the Harsin era Tuesday, firing almost all the assistants he brought over from Boise State — offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau, tight ends coach Brad Bedell and strength coach Jeff Pitman. Several support staffers, including Harsin’s chief of staff and recruiting coordinator, were let go as well.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding, who took over for Derek Mason when he took a $400,000 paycut in the offseason to leave for Oklahoma State, remains in his role at Auburn — and is the lone Harsin holdover from Boise State.

Former Auburn Tigers great tailback Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams was named the interim head coach, while offensive line coach Will Friend was promoted to offensive coordinator and several analysts were promoted to on-field roles.

A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE AT BOSTON COLLEGE 

Lose to UConn, even a spunkier version of the Huskies under Jim Mora, and your job security comes into question. 

Just ask Jeff Hafley.

The third-year head coach at Boston College is just 2-6 with the Eagles in 2022, and after a 13-3 loss with five turnovers to UConn, Hafley answered questions about his future at BC. 

“I’m very confident (my job is safe). Yes. Very confident,” he told the Boston Globe. 

Evidently, Hafley was right. 

In a follow up statement to the Globe earlier this week, BC athletics director James Blake said, “Certainly, we are all disappointed in this season’s results so far, no one more than Jeff. “I know that he, the staff and our student-athletes continue to work hard each and every day and we will continue to do all we can to support them in their efforts. Jeff is an outstanding coach and a great fit for Boston College, and I am confident that the victories will come.”

Hafley is 14-17 at Boston College, and was notably not hired by Blake, who took over as AD in the summer when former AD Pat Kraft accepted the same position at Penn State. Hafley received a contract extension through 2026 from Kraft last November. 

Hafley is a former DC at Ohio State, who had a promising Year 1 in 2020 with the Eagles, as BC upset Pitt and Louisville in Chestnut Hill and nearly stunned then-No. 1 Clemson in Death Valley.

But BC has regressed badly the last two seasons under Hafley. 

They’ve battled countless injuries on the offensive line this season, and quarterback Phil Jurkovec has struggled to stay healthy, too. The offense is averaging just 17.2 points per game (122nd nationally) and the defense — Hafley’s specialty — ranks 84th nationally in scoring. 

DID YOU KNOW?

… That at No. 13 in the AP Poll, Kansas State has its highest ranking since 2014?

Chris Klieman continues to build back the Wildcats’ program, as the fourth-year head coach has KSU right in the thick of the Big-12 championship race after it blasted Oklahoma State 48-0 with a backup quarterback last weekend. 

The Wildcats are 6-2 (4-1 in conference), hosting No. 24 Texas on Saturday night. 

COORDINATOR OF THE WEEK TO WATCH

While much of the pregame focus on Saturday’s titanic Tennessee vs. Georgia showdown — 1 vs. 3, or 2 vs. 1 depending on which rankings you prefer — has been on the Vols’ explosive offense against the Bulldogs’ feisty defense, what about the inverse?

What does Tim Banks have in store to stop Georgia’s offense?

Tennessee’s defensive coordinator is tasked with slowing down a unit that’s been ruthlessly efficient in 2022. Todd Monken’s unit doesn’t pile up the chunk plays like UT, but UGA is averaging 7.24 yards per play — No. 4 nationally — and is one of just two teams nationally who throw for 300 yards and rush for 200 yards per game. 

Behind one of the best OLs in the nation, Georgia has a strong rushing attack (5.65 yards per carry, No. 3 in the SEC), but Banks has built-up Tennessee’s rush defense, which behind the likes of Omari Thomas, Bryon Young, Tyler Baron and others, has become the best in the conference this season. 

The Vols’ secondary remains a concern, but they’ve steadily improved throughout the year, culminating in last weekend’s whipping over Kentucky, where it allowed just 98 passing yards and picked off Will Levis three times. 

Georgia is flush with more playmakers, though, and Banks has to find a way to stop a loaded tight end room and deep pool of tailbacks. 

If he does, the Vols are likely to roll into the rest of November as the unanimous No. 1 team in America. 

QUOTABLE 

“Nope.”

— South Carolina Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer on a potential midseason change at offensive coordinator. 

It took exactly one week for Shane Beamer to go from the penthouse to the outhouse in the eyes of some South Carolina fans. 

After the Gamecocks beat Texas A&M and entered the Top 25, its second-year head coach found his cup runneth over with goodwill. But then South Carolina completely no-showed in an ugly, dispiriting 23-10 home loss to Missouri, managing just 203 total yards and a single touchdown. 

They averaged just 1.4 yards per rush. 

Gamecocks fans have pinned for a change at offensive coordinator, unhappy with the performance the last two seasons by Marcus Satterfield. 

But Tuesday, Beamer dismissed any potential ideas of a midseason change, responding with an immediate, “Nope,” when asked about a move at play-caller. 

He added additional context to his quick one-word answer, saying, “If I felt like changing the role of a coach on our staff–offense, defense or special teams–was the right thing to do right now, I would. Those are things you look at at the end of the season every year. 

“Last year included. Right now the best thing for us is to go win football games down the stretch, starting trying to win one this week against a good Vanderbilt team. The thing that gives us the best chance to be successful is to try and get better at where we are right now.”

That’s not what Gamecocks fans were hoping to hear, especially on the team’s heels of their worst performance of the season.

On the year, South Carolina ranks No. 11 in the SEC in yards per play (5.6) — only marginally better than last season (5.3) when it started a grad transfer at quarterback for multiple games. Former 5-star transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler has been mostly bad all season, throwing for more than 227 yards just once with five touchdowns to nine picks.

“We haven’t been good enough. I recognize that,” Beamer said. 

“We have to coach better. We have to play better. It’s a combination. As bad as it looked the other night–and I get it, it was bad–I see a lot of plays out there to be made. Every week you look back at why we didn’t get that done in that situation,” he said. 

“That starts with me. We have to be better, continue to look at how we’re teaching and giving our guys the best opportunity to make plays during the game and be successful.”

If South Carolina can’t find some offensive success against a Vanderbilt defense that ranks last in the conference in yards per game allowed, yards per play and explosive plays allowed, then there’s no hope for this Gamecocks’ unit the rest of the season, and come December, Beamer will have no choice but to make a change at OC.